Mark Shopiro has been promoted to head of Amazon’s Prime Video, Canada. He will report to Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Shopiro has been with Amazon since 2019 and most recently oversaw engagement, market and sports operations for Prime Video in Canada.
Dan Slepak will take over the newly created role of head of the Canada, Australia and New Zealand marketplace, also reporting to Grace. Slepak has been with Amazon since 2022, most recently in content acquisition for the Prime Video Channels and TVOD businesses at Prime Video International.
Shopiro and Slepak join Brent Hayes, head of international originals, Canada, Amazon MGM Studios; Shaun Alperin, Head of Content, Prime Video, Canada, and Owen McCorquodale, Head of Communications, Prime Video, Canada.
Complementing the changes in Canada, Hwei Loke will take on the role of head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand. The role includes customer growth and engagement, local marketing and portfolio management, live sports and internal partnerships. Loke also leads all Australian Amazon Originals releases, international Amazon Originals regional releases, Amazon Exclusives and third-party licensed content.
Hushidar Kharas, Prime Video’s first employee in Australia and New Zealand, will transition from leading the Prime Video Australia and New Zealand team to a new role as head of ‘Global Prime Video Brand and Social Strategy’. He will be based in the US
While Prime Video has scaled back production efforts on original films in neighboring Southeast Asia and cut workforces at Amazon MGM Studios and Twitch, Australia, with its English-language focus, has remained a production priority for the group.
The film is now in production on a second season of ‘Deadloch’ and post-production on a female-driven version of ‘The Office’ and the prestige miniseries ‘The Narrow Road to the Far North’.
The company reports that it has commissioned 30 original Australian series and feature films in Australia since 2019. These include: “The Test S1-3”’ “Making Their Mark”; “LOL: Last One Laughing Australia with Rebel Wilson”; “Back to the Rafters”; three seasons of “Luxury Listings Sydney”; feature-length documentary “Burning”; “The Moth Effect”; “Head above water”; “Kick like Tayla”; “Warriors on the Field”; “Class of ’07”; Sigourney Weaver starring “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart”; “Dance Life”; a series of ten stand-up comedy specials; revived soap opera “Neighbors” from the dead; “Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles”; “Five blind dates”; and the upcoming “Top End Bub.”
A marketer with more than 15 years of experience, Loke has spent her career leading cross-functional marketing and creative teams to drive tangible growth at some of the largest global and local brands, including The Walt Disney Company, Australia’s public broadcaster SBS and Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS). ). She joined Prime Video Australia in 2020.
Before joining Amazon, Slepak was VP of Digital Distribution at Sony Pictures Distribution, where he was responsible for the U.S. TVOD business through digital distribution partners.